La Clusaz comes to Paris

The lovely Mademoiselle Caroline is an illustrator who blogs about all sorts of things, such as having kids, daily life in the mountains, and the experience of expatriating herself from Paris to the small village of Manigod, just down the road from La Clusaz. Manigod has one bakery, one small supermarket and just a few other shops. It’s a proper retreat.

You don’t have to be French to enjoy the situations she draws and writes about, but it helps if you understand some basic French. She’s published several books already, and her latest one, pictured, is about that culture shock of moving from a big city like Paris to the French Alps. You can see samples of her work on the Mademoiselle Caroline website, as well as links to the books for purchase.

After my stint in London, I can identify with her frame of mind: she too shuns snow chains and has a wardrobe full of high heels that she rarely gets to wear (but she’s at least had the opportunity to buy more ‘winter’ shoes and boots which is a nice bonus).

If you’re in Paris, you can meet Mademoiselle Caroline and have her leave a personalised drawing in your copy of her book at her book signing.

You’ll also get a chance to see me!

Here I am, about half way through the book, doing the wide telemark turns on the right of the image. Mademoiselle Caroline is the one in the foreground who looks like she’s going to land on her back — and as self deprecating as she is, she’s actually a brilliant skier (for a Parisian).

That day, the four of us pictured attempted to ski off-piste at La Balme. Tim had his racing skis on and I was wobbly on telemarks, leaving Ali and Caroline to show us how it’s done. Actually, Tim managed pretty well on his skis too: I was the only one screaming with every turn, and I was relieved when we returned to the piste, all with burning muscles from our adventure into the powder.

Mademoiselle Caroline will be in Paris on 3rd November at the Virgin Megastore at 5 Boulevard Montmartre between 3pm and 7pm. Her stocks of books sold out in Annecy, so my advice is to get there early.

6 comments on “La Clusaz comes to Paris”

I love this book! I got my copy signed in Annecy. I was actually a few people behind you and your friend in the queue at BD Fugue but it wasn’t until I met Mlle Caroline and started talking to her that I was quite sure it was you (I’m kind of a nosy eavesdropper and I noticed you were obviously friends of her’s and I noticed your aussie accent! I see so few australians here I can usually spot them a mile away!). So by that time you had left. Anyway, I did meet your friend Dave! And I was of course thrilled to meet the star herself and compare our respective attractions to Russell Crowe (I must admit mine has waned over the years).

Penny, I heard afterwards that you had been there. I would have loved to have met another Aussie around these parts as there are so few of us. Dave and I were skiing together the first time I met Mademoiselle Caroline (along with Tim, pictured above). He’s faaaast.